Summer and vacation invite various nutritional adventures. During travels, there is a tendency to consume processed, calorie-rich foods. Supermarkets offer a variety of "refreshing" options in the refrigerators, starting with sweet snacks and fatty ice creams, and ending with sugary drinks that increase the frequency of snacking, changing the daily routine. How can we deal with the summer in a healthier way, and what are some hot recipes for the upcoming summer?
Summer drinks - are they sweetened?
Most of us enjoy sweet foods and drinks. Have you ever thought about translating this into spoonfuls of sugar?
Flavored water in a personal bottle contains 4 teaspoons of sugar, a nectar drink in a can contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice in a personal bottle contains 9 teaspoons of sugar, and in the first place, a carbonated beverage in a personal bottle contains 12 teaspoons of sugar.
In the Western world, the obesity epidemic has escalated. The consumption of soft drinks has contributed to the daily energy (calorie) intake of children, teenagers, and adults. Sugary soft drinks provide readily available energy that deceives the body and creates a momentary feeling of satiety. Often, this comes at the expense of nutrient-rich foods and beverages, in addition to the high sugar content they contain. The absence of satiety and the rise in insulin levels in the blood after drinking lead to further eating, which results in higher energy consumption than the body requires for its survival and daily activities. Studies have found that consuming large amounts of sugar may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
• It is advisable to accustom children to drink water from a young age. It is recommended to keep sugary beverages away from home. You can buy a fun water bottle for your child to encourage them to drink more water during the summer. Personal example can certainly help.
Fruits
Summer fruits are sweet, cool, and refreshing. Besides sugar and lots of water, summer fruits provide us with many vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers.
Fruit can serve as a sweet treat and fit well into the diet menu; it is certainly preferable to other sweets: natural fruit does not contain food coloring and preservatives, it is readily available and ready to eat, rich in vitamins and minerals, and provides readily available energy to the body.
However, it is essential to consider that summer fruits contain unaltered amounts of sugar, so their consumption should be limited, especially among people with diabetes, high triglyceride levels, and fatty liver conditions.
It is recommended to eat up to three servings of fruit per day and not replace a meal with fruit.